It's a good reminder that the phrase mAa xrw does not, of course, refer only to the dead. I'm pretty certain that on the kings list in the Abydos temple of Seti I, the young boy Ramesses is given the epithet mAa xrw.

Very nice post, indeed. And a good reminder of the subtleties of this phrase._________________

The ta-miaut sarcophagus is traveling with the "Tutankhamun: the Golden King and the Great Pharaohs" exhibit, which is currently in Houston, Texas until April 15, 2012. It is worth the price of admission, along, in my opinion.

Anyone know the story about the sarcophagus? Where was it found? What was in it? Were ta-kiaut's organs mummified separately in her own canopic jars?

I wonder if Lady Cat was by chance strangled in order to follow her Royal best friend into the realm of eternity...

That's entirely possible of course. Feline votive offerings were purposely killed-- mummified animals that were probably pets have been found in and around tombs but does anyone know whether these show any signs of foul play? Would someone, like say Prince Thutmose, hold onto their naturally deceased cat (or dog or monkey) with the idea of having it buried with them when the time came?

I wonder if Lady Cat was by chance strangled in order to follow her Royal best friend into the realm of eternity...

I would doubt it as the Crown Prince is not referred to as /mAa xrw/ or "Osiris" in the inscription, which he would if he had died.

Well that's a relief. Actually this strikes me as a personal gesture by an owner when a beloved pet passed on rather than his relatives and servants deciding to send the cat along with the prince at the time of his burial.

I wonder if Lady Cat was by chance strangled in order to follow her Royal best friend into the realm of eternity...

I would doubt it as the Crown Prince is not referred to as /mAa xrw/ or "Osiris" in the inscription, which he would if he had died.

Well that's a relief. Actually this strikes me as a personal gesture by an owner when a beloved pet passed on rather than his relatives and servants deciding to send the cat along with the prince at the time of his burial.

Finding mummified royal pets is very rare to begin with. I always think of KV50 in the Valley of the Kings, which was a single-chamber tomb in which was found unwrapped animals, including an amazingly preserved dog and baboon. If I remember correctly, the theory is that these were perhaps pets of Amunhotep II. In any case I don't think these animals evidenced any trauma, so they may have lived out their lives and were interred subsequently to the burial of their royal master.

It's the votive animal mummies which often evidence trauma, such as broken cervical vertebrae. Many if not most of the mummified cats that have been Xrayed appear to have been no older than around eight months of age, so these were indeed killed just to be mummified. It was an act of piety on the part of the person who paid for such an offering, however, so I doubt the average ancient Egyptian looked at such things with the kind of sentiment we would._________________